Gabe licked his lips. “I hate being alone…”
Damian grazed his hair back. “You’re not alone. You have the whole pig family. I’ll be back before you wake.”
“Ok…”
“Bring you a special treat for our anniversary.”
“Oh… you know…”
“I saw that small ‘x’ next to your scratch, so yes. Little timekeeper.” He kissed him lightly, not to smudge all that mud on his lips.
“Take care.”
Damian just shot him a warm look and disappeared into the jungle.So silent…Gabe couldn’t even hear his steps anymore, or the rustling of leaves. He decided to go down to the beach, set up some new nets, find something in the tide pools. Thinking about what Damian had said about keeping the time.Or not keeping it, for that matter…He sighed, following their trail, the nets on his back, turning to Walter’s and Gisele’s trotting steps.
“Hey… up for a bath?”
The pigs just grunted and hurried behind him, straight down to that lush beach, into the sparkling blue water. The horizon empty, shimmering in that white sun, and Gabe breathed in deep to get rid of that tightness around his chest. He went in the water to lay the nets out; the waves lapping at his chest, his throat. Hearing the pigs bathe in the shallow waters, splashing their bodies around.How long did pigs live?A soft clutch to his heart at the thought of losing them, even if Walter had made his choice years ago, when, growing, he had latched on to Damian, insisting until the reluctant and distant human had given in. A silent companionship, a mute language between human and beast at which Gabe marveled sometimes, watching them exchange a look, Walter move to a wave of Damian’s hand, walk closer to get a caress. He found some lobsters in the pools and hurried back, at ease, knowing the pigs would follow.Another litter on the way.
Gabe sat by the fire, watching the setting sun, and cooked the lobsters, leaving one to Damian, even if he knew he must have gorged himself on raw eggs, fruits, and insects. That dark veil thrown on the sun, the stars studding that black canvas. He climbed up to their hut, stoked the fire up for the night, and lay down, his arms behind his head, watching that leaf ceiling they had repaired countless time during the years. Listening to the night sounds, a small dread in him, despite knowing that the pigs would alert if anything came close, Damian was still missing. His unruly imagination running wild in that dark night, images of Damian falling off a cliff, being bitten by an alligator, dragged into the mangrove swamp to disappear below those murky waters… He turned to his side, listening to his own heartbeat, sleep frolicking around him with a mocking laugh, sprinkling more images of dread, death, the dawn sun rising on that empty bed.Then what? Where to go? How to find him?He cursed softly his brain, trying to shut down all those imagined scenarios which would never happen.What could kill Damian in his own kingdom?He smiled lightly, turning on his other side. Sleep, sleep, come on…drifting into a dreamless abyss.
Sunlight on his face, so he sat up, opening his eyes. The bed, empty. He rose and slid down the ladder, looking around, still a bit fogged with sleep. Jolting at the hands going over his eyes.
“In full panic mode?” His smile in his voice. Gabe turned, straight into his arms, his words stuck in his tight throat. Damian kissed him before he could say anything, or cry, holding him tight then against his warm body. “Had a good sleep?”
Gabe looked into his eyes. “Where were you?”
“I slept somewhere in the jungle, then ran back this morning. Look, I’m grilling a bird for you, an enormous cormorant.” He gestured to the fire, that large bird sprawled on the bamboo grill, fat sizzling into the flames below. “Bird meat, some eggs, and a surprise.”
“What surprise?”
Damian rolled his eyes. “You’ll see. Happy anniversary, my amazing husband.” He kissed Gabe softly, straying his hands in his hair.
“Happy anniversary… already a year…” Gabe’s eyes misted over.
“Almost five together. A real treat.” Damian grinned, rubbing a rogue tear off Gabe’s face. “Let’s eat.”
They sat and ate some bird meat and eggs, a silent focus there to feed their bodies, but the taste was a rare delicacy, that salted bird flesh melting in their mouth.
Damian reached behind his back and took a plate, a white square on it with one of his honeycomb candles. He took a branch out of the flames and lit it, then held it to Gabe. “Our anniversary cake.”
“A cake?” He was shocked a bit, looking that white mass square over which had started sliding apart.
“Sort of. Blow the candle?”
He did, smiling, and watched Damian cut the cake in half, pushing a soft half on his plate. “Eat. I grated some coconut and glued it together with honey.”
Gabe scooped a bite up with his spoon and put it in his mouth, that fresh and sweet taste bursting on his tongue. “Mhm… heaven…”
Damian just grinned, eating too, but his eyes were on Gabe, his mouth, how he ate, licked his spoon, lost a bit in the pleasure of that sweetness, his face glowing. That happiness almost enough for Damian, just seeing that bliss filling him up more than the food. He got up and sat next to Gabe, taking his empty plate, and pulling him back to lie on the ground. Facing him, grazing his lips filled with honey. Leaning close as he cupped his neck, licking that honey off, pushing his tongue into that warm sweetness. Eating him up, one hand holding his neck, the other one straying to Gabe’s chest, his ribs, straying his mouth down his neck, he latched on his nipple, sucking hard, biting gently. Gabe moaned, pushing against him, breathing hard as he wouldn’t let go. Gabe’s hand went to his hair, to his head, stroking, pushing it, even if he wanted to pull him off, maybe, the ripples coursing through his body, almost too much. He whimpered when he felt Damian’s hand on his erection, stroking to the rhythm of his tongue, lips and teeth torturing him. Gabe threw his head back on his arm, which had gone around his shoulders, holding him tight. Moaning, whimpering, but he could not move, trapped by his hands and his mouth. Heaving, he came with a soft moan, which Damian kissed away, pushing his tongue in deep as Gabe’s hips bucked against his hand.
He pushed two fingers into Gabe’s mouth, meeting his eyes. “Suck, you little fuck…”
Gabe obeyed, floating, dizzy with his own taste. Opening his mouth to another deep kiss, lost in his arms.
Sitting around a huge pyre which they’d built on the beach, watching that dark ink sea. Gabe was leaning against Damian, in his arms, playing with his hair which spilled on his chest. His eyes on the flames. When had time become irrelevant? The day when he had not scratched another row on that tree, somewhere half-way into their sixth year. Maybe during those days when they just made love, ate, made love, ate, and drank, made love again. The days like pearls, a timeless bliss. When there was no urge to do anything, just maybe lie all day, be together, do something together. Everything subject to that blazing sun and dark sky, to the clouds and winds. It didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered but them, this peace they had built.
Damian grazed his arm. “Let’s go back. We need to get some sleep.”
